Escape By Wasabi Rolls
by Hu Edith
Summary: Sophie Landon has spent half a year under the prestigious Hoshi volleyball team. She’s got the wicked short serve and digs to prove her play...and the team’s nickname of Shove. Tennis is only a ball to mess around with... Set, match, let the games begin.
1. First Platter, Roll 1

**Escape By Wasabi Rolls**

**By Hu Edith**

Sophie Landon has spent half a year under the prestigious Hoshi volleyball team. She's got the wicked short serve and digs to prove her play…and the team's nickname of Shove. Tennis is only a ball to mess around with back home in America and she is content merely watching as she is in Japan to play with the Hoshi volleyball team. Even if she does loves tennis more than volleyball. But Sophie doesn't want the solo attention the game comes with or her mother's cruel words. And so she uses the excuse of playing an actual match may ruin her love of tennis with the competition, which very much could happen. However, thanks to her outgoing roommate, some of Japan's local tennis guys have met and taken interest to the shy American girl.

--

"It-taaa," came in muttered awe. "Come on Kira! It's one of those Spring into Summer days! Smell that, mowed grass!"

"You suddenly got out of character happy," another girl mumbled as she shut the hotel door behind her. "At least I can run with someone else. What are you doing, sprints?" The girl pulled her straight black hair into a high ponytail, regarding the first with deep eyes, leaning down to absently fix her shoe. "You could at least dress somewhat more attractive, we're running outside after all." And proof is shown in the way she dressed with no socks, opting for long lean legs showed off below her short black spandex, a tight fitting top above that.

The first girl laughed slightly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I prefer things relaxed and loose." She gazed down at her dark blue shorts, hanging just above her knees, and tugged at the pale t-shirt, sleeves torn off as well as the collar, over a black sports bra, straps seen under the loose shirt. "It's comfortable for me."

"Yeah, well, maybe you should think that over. A girl has got to have a man in her life," she grinned. "Or at least a few of their attention spans. At least you aren't wearing those knee high socks again. They cover your whole legs with those guy shorts you wear."

The first girl grinned. "Oh, do they? I really hadn't noticed before Kira."

Kira jolted up from fixing her other shoe. "Eh?! You're in a real good mood today Shove. What from?"

"Chiiii," Shove lightly smiled. "I just am. I do tend to stay quiet. Well!" Shove pulled her ponytail tight, not a high tail nor a low tail. Just a plain ponytail in plain light brown hair. "Time for a good jog. Ready?"

Kira groaned. "Whenever you disappear for a jog, you're gone for hours!"

Shove smiled softly. "Shall we go?"

"Yeah, yeah," Kira groaned with a quick stretch. "I'll think of it as an endurance run. Those ones coach gives us for punishment."

"Don't complain. Everything I do, I can feel myself growing stronger. Why complain over that?"

"First of all, you never complain. Second of all, you are the only one of us who is so intense. And third of all, you never speak this much. Let's just start already? It's bad enough you suckered this out of my free time."

Trotting off, the pair of girls broke into a rhythmic matching jog down the sidewalk, not another word spoken.

--

"Hey!" A large gasp of air. "Hey! I'm stopping! Take a break already!"

Slowing down, Shove turned to look at her running buddy and smiled. "Endurance run."

"That's a little more than an endurance run! That's just crazy! You take it too far," Kira complained breathing hard. She glanced up and around, realizing what was going on a bit ahead on the road. "Hey. See where all the cute guys are going Shove? Let's follow. I think its tennis players. Just a doubles team playing with rackets and smaller balls. I personally like my balls bigger. Come on! I'll even pay the fee!"

Shove gave Kira a blank look and shrugged her shoulders. "Sure." And Shove immediately began a slow jog down the road, Kira putting on a burst to pass Shove to the admission gate.

Upon Shove getting there some seconds later, Kira grinned and slapped some cash on the table. "Two tickets!" Shove glanced at the admission price saying that she would pay Kira back later.

A cheer became very loud, "Seigaku! Seigaku! Sei-ga-ku!"

Kira headed over to the loud cheers, jumping a bit to see. After a moment, she turned, spotting Shove still standing and watching. "Coming?"

Shove shook her head, pointing her finger behind her. "I'm going to wander."

"Okay," Kira toned. "But there's this little guy playing I could match you up against."

Shaking her head, Shove shot off a three finger salute before heading off. Stopping to watch a few matches briefly, she didn't seem to be too impressed with the play. "I'd rather be playing. Even if it was tennis. And cheering is pointless." She stood to watch one particularly bad game, eyeing all the rules the guy sitting in the throne called. "Eh, I give up. Kira's nice and all, but I'd rather train." Making a turn around, she noticed an open space near the back of the courts, as if it went right into a park area. "That works."

Jog, one, two, three. Jog, one, two, three. Shove turned up her mp3 player, finding a beat to jog to. "Hey, hey! You, you!" She breathed the words, fixing the beat to her mental state. Her arms swung in opposite directions before switching direction. Spotting another runner up ahead, she lengthened her step to catch up, still swinging her arms.

"Hey, you."

At the voice, Shove cocked her head slightly, eyeing the person from the corner of her eyes. She continued as the person said nothing more.

"Stop running with me. I'm trying to concentrate before my match."

She glanced over again, finding a glare. Shrugging at the odd behavior from some guy she just met, Shove returned to her old pace and gained five feet before gaining back his pace again. Turning around in her run, she ran backwards right in front of him, staring him down.

"Jog. One. Two. Nice three step. I like keeping a four step in my head. A match then? Will it be more interesting than the one I watched earlier with Fukushima and Gakuin? Those two had no determination or passion to the game."

The guy's eye twitched. "Fhsssss. Trying to concentrate. Go away."

"Trying to train. Go away. I guess your match will be more interesting with that determination. Seigaku, huh? I think we've played them already. They lost pretty badly. Please tell me the tennis team there is better. I like watching tennis…good tennis matches."

The boy stopped and turned around. "Quit bothering me."

Shove smiled softly. "Well, thank you. Glad to see that kind of hope and determination is not only something I have."

He turned slightly. "Hope? Hardly."

"Determination though?" Shove said curious. "The kind of determination from passion of just wanting to play as best you can? Eiat-tay!" She jogged forward, stopping to jog in place before him. "Better get to your match."

Eyeing her questionably, he suddenly took off at high speeds. Covering her mouth slightly, Shove laughed quietly into her hand. It wasn't going to be hard to find him again. She jogged slowly in the direction he left in.

Good tennis matches were so enjoyable to watch.


	2. First Platter, Roll 2

**Escape By Wasabi Rolls**

**By Hu Edith**

Sophie Landon has spent half a year under the prestigious Hoshi volleyball team. She's got the wicked short serve and digs to prove her play…and the team's nickname of Shove. Tennis is only a ball to mess around with back home in America and she is content merely watching as she is in Japan to play with the Hoshi volleyball team. Even if she does loves tennis more than volleyball. But Sophie doesn't want the solo attention the game comes with or her mother's cruel words. And so she uses the excuse of playing an actual match may ruin her love of tennis with the competition, which very much could happen. However, thanks to her outgoing roommate, some of Japan's local tennis guys have met and taken interest to the shy American girl.

--

"I've got their numbers!" Kira crowed and found the rest of the team swarming her. Alone, Shove played around with a volleyball. Bump, bump, bump. "A few of Seigaku's tennis guys are cute."

"They aren't losers like those gangly volleyball players, are they?"

"No! Not at all! I'm amazed they come from the same school. It seems there are some real champion hunks there. Kunimitsu Tezuka, Shuichiro Oishi and his funny guy doubles partner Eiji Kikimaru, Shusuke Fuji is a dream to look at, and Takeshi Momoshiro is a pretty fair guy too. I've got all their numbers too!"

"Oh! A group date before we go to the next tournament! It'll be fun!"

Shove grew tired of bumping the volleyball up and down, and began to spike it repeatedly against the gym wall. The tennis matches had been really good and fun to watch. The Seigaku tennis team guys were more focused than her own team after all. Spike, spike, spike. They had some heart into their game. Shove caught the volleyball and stared at it. "No," she muttered to the volleyball.

"Ha ha," Kira said as she waved her cell phone around. "I've already called and set it up for after the winner's game of this Tournament."

"Pah," shot out the German girl on the team. "We're not the ones who can meet these guys again after the team splits up after our year together. Kira and Midori are the only two who this works out for."

"Don't be so grumpy Elsie. It's all in good fun. Whoever wants to join up after the winner's game can come with," Kira openly invited.

"Who says we're even getting to the winner's game Kira?" Elsie shot back at the Japanese girl.

Kira scowled at the taller girl. "Have more confidence in your team. We are going to the winner's game, just like every other tournament we've taken over. Our team has practiced and played together for half a year now. We have half a year left. Take pride in how good we are Elsie."

"You can take pride your own team…coach's niece," Elsie snapped back.

Shove hit the volleyball a bit too hard and the ball rebounded off the wall and into the middle of the group. "Sorry," she called out. She jogged after the ball. "Elsie, can you toss it back for me?"

Elsie glared at the American girl on the team. At least the American girl was all German blood, somewhat of a pleasant sight to see in foreign countries and tournament hopping. Kira was just…Elsie couldn't stand Kira half the time. The Japanese girl just rubbed her the wrong way. "Fine," she hedged out. She tossed the volleyball over to Shove.

"Thanks."

"Whatever," Elsie said shortly. She turned back to face Kira. "Pep us up all you like, I'm going to be prepared mentally in case we lose. It's all about trusting your hard work, your training, your team communication, and your form to the game than it is about mere _hope_. Sorry, _captain_, I'm going to begin warm ups now."

Elsie trotted off and began running her laps around the gym. Kira shrugged. "It's early, but oh well."

The group began their laps around the gym, chattering as they slowly paced the outer area. Shove followed close to the group and listened as the talk was still on the matter of a group date.

"What about you Shove?"

Startled, Shove blinked at Kira.

"Did you want to join us?"

"Ah. No, that's okay," Shove mumbled.

"You sure?" The other Japanese girl, Midori, on the volleyball team asked. "It depends but we may end up going to…uh…Takashi Kawamuri's family joint. You've enjoyed trying other Japanese foods so far."

"Mmm," Shove said slowly at the idea. Kira and Midori were not the only two giving her expecting looks. Shove blinked at the attention. She said the one answer that would leave her alone about the idea…at least for the time being. "Maybe."

They'd forget about bringing her later most probably.


End file.
